


The Cliffs of Delphi: Kaon

by GreyLiliy



Series: The Cliffs Of Delphi [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Gen, Implied Cannibalism, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-04-08
Packaged: 2018-01-13 05:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1215145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tarn found the boy in the gutter, and couldn't resist adding the fierce little thing to his collection. Or at the very least that was his intent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Collector's Piece

**Author's Note:**

> Small ficlets for Kaon that take place in the Victorian AU: The Cliffs of Delphi.

The boy's eyes were black, the sockets empty and infected. A youth of seven or eight, perhaps younger, pushed over one of his peers. All of them equally dirty, filthy and thin, begging in the back gutter, and it was the blind one who took charge. A tiny pup nipped at his ankles, and he held his ground against the bigger boys.

Tarn was intrigued, and it had been some time since someone had caught his interest. His collection was desperately in need of new blood, and this just might be the ticket he was looking for.

Tarn was a collector.

With the vast fortunes he had earned working for his forever Lord and Master Megatron completely the dark and dirty tasks in the dark others stray from, he used it to collect. He built a large mansion on the top of a hill, and surrounded himself with unique oddities and things that struck his interest.

The majority, was composed of chopped off limbs from those he admired but didn't wish to keep or kill. The eyes of the beggar girl who had the moxie to strike him back when he cornered her in the ally. The hand of the thief who dared pick his pocket. There was also a lovely hand that had a sixth finger that he kept just for its oddity. Further on, he had the remains of worthy opponents--entire arms, heads, etc.

While he also had a small collection of complete cadavers, his prized collection was a back room of living pieces. The ones who truly caught his interest remained chained there, ready for use if needed. Someone to hit, to pet, to take to his bed--whatever struck his mood. They usually made it a year or two before they went mad and had to be put down.

And he had just lost one.

This new little lad had potential, perhaps not now--but when he was older. Tarn smiled as he approached the squabbling boys. Potential was everything.

* * *

"Who're you?" The boy asked, clutching his dog to his chest. The animal whimpered, and chewed on the boy's arm. "A-Answer!"

Tarn smiled, twisted the caked make-up on his face that covered his scars from view. Not that he would have needed it with this one. Tarn couldn't place the nature of the injury, but it was gruesome: The boy's eyes had been completely removed. Instead, he had black, wooden replacements shoved in the sockets to hold the shape. However, even without his eyes--the boy was extraordinarily expressive.

The way his mouth moved, his tiny teeth, and his brows and cheeks. All of them worked together to create the look of absolute horror across the child's expression. It was intoxicating.

Tarn glanced at the other children, frozen in place. Wisely, they ran, slipping away into the darkness of the farthest corner. Tarn looked at his future collector's piece, and smiled. "Why don't you tell me your name first?"

The boy, smarter than he looked, shook his head and sprinted.

Tarn laughed. He was definitely adding this one to the back room--and if not that, his cadaver collection at the very least.

* * *

The boy's name was Kaon.

Tarn chuckled, sipping his tea. Vos, one of his trusted assistants, had hunted the boy down and dragged him in after Tarn's request. It wasn't hard to pick out this one from the rest, all considering. Dark red and black hair, a dog, missing eyes--he rather stood out from the rest of them, even under his own coating of soot and dirt.

The boy, no longer a shivering wreck, sat at his feet eating a biscuit. The sugary cookie disappeared almost as soon as he'd been given it, and Tarn couldn't stop the chuckle.

He should have just offered the thing food when he found it.

The boy entered the house rightly terrified, screaming and struggling all the way through the bath Vos had suffered him through. He couldn't see Tarn, but he huddled away all the same when Vos dropped him off in Tarn's sitting room. Huddling on the carpet, Tarn watched him while drinking his tea. His expressions were really something else, and Tarn could almost picture how they'd contort when he was older. The things he could get from it--

"Is that a biscuit?" The boy had asked, interrupting his thoughts. The fear was gone from his face, and instead he looked intently in the direction of the tray Vos had just set down.

Tarn looked over at the tray, and there was indeed a plate of biscuits with his refreshed drink. He picked up the plate and held it toward the boy. "Would you like one?"

The boy took it, and nearly melted when it touched his tongue. Tarn set the plate on the ground, and the tiny hand tapped until he found it. The boy was more of a dog than his dog was.

"What's your name?" Tarn asked, his head in his chin.

"Kaon."

* * *

"Wasn't that kid supposed to be part of the, uh, downstairs, sir?" Helex asked, leaning down toward Tarn's ear. "What's he still doing up here?"

Kaon was in Tarn's bed, curled on his side around his puppy. He was sleeping soundly, his belly full and his clothes clean.

Tarn sipped his tea from his chair in the sitting portion of his bedroom, and sighed. It was true, most of his collection pieces were upstairs only as long as Tarn needed them and promptly returned to their cells when he was finished. The boy really shouldn't be there. But all the same. Tarn glanced at the lad who'd taken food from him without a second thought, and sighed.

Tarn put his tea cup on the table, and laced his fingers. "He's hardly hurting anything, Helex."

"Whatever you say, sir," Helex said.

His servant left, and Tarn stood from his chair. Perhaps he wouldn't send Kaon downstairs just yet. He was still young, but he couldn't stay here, either. Tarn scooped the tiny body off his bed, and carried him off into the hall. He might as well put one of the guest rooms to use.

It's not as if anyone were using them.

* * *

"Tarn! Tarn!" Kaon called, tugging at the older man's arm. The ties on the end of his new blindfold flapped behind his head, and his new clothes were pressed and clean. He laughed and tugged. "I found it! I found it!"

"Already?" Tarn asked, flipping through his ledger.

Two weeks. The boy had been running loose in his house for two weeks. All traces of fear from their first meeting, gone. Wiped off his face. Only smiles and pure adoration remained, lighting up the youthful cheeks. Tarn wanted to despise it, but he grew fond of it despite himself. His latest collector piece had still yet to see his future home in the basement.

"Yes!" Kaon dug through his pockets and held up a shining coin. He reached on his tip-toes to put it on the tablet and push it toward Tarn's hand. "It was under the rug in Vos' room."

"That's right," Tarn said. He handed Kaon a candy from his pocket and the boy jumped with a little holler. He was worse than his puppy, but it was endearing. Tarn crossed his arms on the table and watched Kaon celebrate winning their little game. "That was quick."

"Because Vos always hides things in his own room," Kaon said, pulling open the sugary treat. "He hid the last two things there, so why not this one?"

"Good thinking," Tarn said. He tapped his fingers on the ledger as the boy ate his treat and covered his mouth.

At this rate, Kaon may never see the downstairs.

* * *

If anyone asked Tarn, Kaon was a part of his collection--An oddity to be sure, but he was still part of Tarn's collection. The shining collector's piece who ran around freely, unaware that he'd been claimed by the older man as a possession.

Tarn pulled the blanket over the sleeping lad, as he curled into his own bed, in what was no longer a guest room. He brushed a bit of red hair out of the exhausted lad's face.

Yes, this was his.

* * *

Tarn jerked awake.

Curled into his chest, hidden under the blankets was his tiny little gutter urchin. Kaon had wormed his way under Tarn's arms, and buried his face into Tarn's scarred chest. His soft pajamas were slightly wet, and the boy shivered.

"Kaon?" Tarn asked, lifting the blanket enough to see the lad more clearly.

"Sorry," he whispered. Kaon's little fingers dug into his skin and he breathed. "I didn't want to wake you up."

"What are you doing?" Tarn whispered.

"You're scarier than the monsters," Kaon said. He pulled the blanket back down, hiding away the light. He mumbled into Tarn's chest. "They won't come in if you're here."

Tarn set his arm down, and rubbed the boy's back. "Did you have a nightmare?"

The child froze, and shifted the tiniest inch. "No."

"Kaon," Tarn said, lightly squeezing the boy's shoulder. "Don't lie to me."

"Yes," he whispered. He clutched harder to Tarn. "I'm sorry."

"Go to sleep," Tarn said, shutting his eyes.

Kaon squeezed Tarn in his hug, and after a few moments of even breathing, drifted off into a child's sleep.

Tarn was in over his head.

* * *

"Kaon, get your coat," Tarn said. He pulled on his dress coat, and checked his make-up in the mirror in the foyer hall. After a quick touch up, ensuring that his scars were covered, he looked down to see Kaon waiting. Under his coat, was a clean vest and properly buttoned shirt. "We're going into town, and I expect you to be have."

"Yes, sir," Kaon said. He puffed up, clearly proud he remembered that he wasn't to call Tarn by his name in public. "I'll be good."

"I know you will," Tarn said, smoothing down the lad's hair. Tarn took the boy's hand, and led him toward the door. "Remember, even though there will plenty during the intermissions and after parties, you aren't to take any food unless I tell you."

"Yes, sir," Kaon answered, following close.

"Good," Tarn said. The boy knew his way around the house quite well, but once they hit the street he was still unsure. His dog normally guided him, but the animal wouldn't be appropriate at the opera house. "I think you're going to like this show. The composer I paid to write it really out did himself."

Kaon nodded and squeezed Tarn's hand. He couldn't help squeezing back.


	2. Up Late

"Vos!" Kaon said, hand resting on the kitchen wall. He rubbed at the edge of his blindfold, and scrunched his nose. The tiny boy was dressed in his night gown, and the toes of his bare feet curled on the tile. He'd figured out his way around the house in the past two months, but he was still cautious. "You're in here, right?"

The body guard set down the cheese tray he'd been preparing, and turned to the young master. "Yes. Why are you up?"

Kaon's fingers twitched on the wall, and his shoulders hunched. Vos's face remained as straight and emotionless as a mask, but inside he was sighing. What had the little master done now? Kaon looked up and whispered, "Tarn wasn't in bed. I can't find him."

"He stepped out," Vos said. And wouldn't be back for another hour or two, if his job tonight went perfectly. Vos had already started preparations for his nightly snack and tea. Master was always hungry after a kill. Vos strode over to the boy, and put his hand on the boy's back. "Couldn't sleep."

"Oh," Kaon said, scrunching his nose. "When'll he be back."

"After you go back to sleep," Vos said. He knelt down and picked Kaon up, resting him on his slim hip. Kaon yawned into his shoulder, pouting. "Why couldn't you sleep? Tarn tucked you in, and read story."

"I know," Kaon said. He clutched at Vos' vest and bit the edge of his lip. He whispered in Kaon's ear, as if scared Tesarus or Helex might over hear him and tease. "I had a nightmare."

"I'll bring you warm milk after tucking you back in," Vos said. He rubbed Kaon's back and walked evenly down the hallway with his new little burden. "It will help."

"Okay," Kaon answered, tired and resigned.

As they passed through the main foyer on the way to the bedroom wings, the door slammed down the way. The mumbling of Tesarus and Helex laughing could easily be heard alongside familiar, thumping footsteps.

"Tarn!" Kaon said, leaning back and practically leaping up. He smiled brightly and kept his hold on Vos as he strained to lean back and listen for the older man. "He's back!"

"Early," Vos said, a twitch on the corner of his eye.

Tarn stopped dead in the foyer, his trademark mask on his face, eyes wide behind it. He was covered head to toe in blood, drenched to the point that bits of it dripped on the main carpet. Someone would be cleaning in later, but at the moment he had other concerns: Kaon. Vos tightened his grip on the lad instinctively, terrified he might jump down and run to hug the older man.

Tarn swiftly pulled off his mask, revealing his scarred face once again to the air. He glared viciously at Kaon, despite the sweet tone in his voice. "Kaon, whatever are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep! So I went to find you, but you were gone, but you're back now!" Kaon said, pushing on Vos. He wriggled and pouted at the other man's grip. "Vos! Let me down!"

"No, Little Master, please," Vos said, his insides twisting. He knew this. Kaon would jump down, and dash straight for Tarn. He'd get a bloody hug and Tarn'd murder them both. "You need to go to bed."

"But I want to hug Tarn first," Kaon said. Vos checked off a point in his head for predicting that. He was surrounded by predictable people. "So let go!"

"Kaon," Tarn said, voice a little more stern. "Vos will tuck you in, and I'll be there in a moment."

"But why," Kaon asked, stilling. "Don't you want a hug?"

"Of course I do," Tarn said, licking his lips. "I'm just covered in mud, and I don't want you to get dirty."

"Mud?" Kaon asked. "Is that what smells so bad?"

"Yes," Tarn said, rubbing the back of his neck, and smearing a new streak of blood across his collar. "That's it exactly."

"How'd you get covered in mud?"

"I tripped."

Kaon laughed, a burst of giggles that shook his entire body and Vos' stony shoulder. He pointed at Tarn, and snickered. "You're so big, that I bet there was a huge splash!"

"There was," Tarn said, flicking his fingers and spatter a streak of red across the wall. Vos would be cleaning that, he was sure of it. "Very embarrassing."

"Okay," Kaon said, sticking his nose up. "I'll wait in bed for you to change then. I don't want to get my nightgown dirty."

"I wouldn't want to get any of you dirty, Kaon," Tarn sighed. He walked swiftly by the two before Kaon could reach out, and headed toward the back baths. "I'll be but just a moment."

Tesarus and Helex snickered, and Vos narrowed his eyes at them behind Kaon's back. They shut up.

Kaon was more than happy to be tucked in after that, and sat up under his covers waiting for Tarn. Vos took a spot against the wall and waited with him for Tarn's appearance. The larger man entered the room, with a fresh change of clothes. Bits of dried blood clung to his face in various places where his quick washing had missed them, but it was nothing Kaon would notice.

"Now who's up late when he shouldn't be?" Tarn asked, sitting on the side of Kaon's bed.

"Me," Kaon grinned. He scooted up and tackled Tarn's side in a hug. "You should fix it."

"Perhaps I should tire you out," Tarn laughed, tickling the boy's side.

Vos nodded once, and left the room, closing the door behind him. He had a snack tray to finish, and a hall to clean. Giggling continued past the door, and he heard the familiar creak of Tarn pulling a book down from Kaon's shelf. Reading time. Vos shook his head, and smiled.

It looked like he had plenty of time. They'd all be up late tonight.


	3. Little Pig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaon is a pest, and Vos wonders if he can get away with selling him without Tarn noticing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short-fic inspired by a Tumblr prompt. :3

"Vos."

_Ignore him._

"Vos."

_Keep walking. He’ll give up and go pester Tarn._

"Vos!"

The butler stopped, and tightened his grip on the silver tray hard enough that the empty tea cups rattled. Vos looked at Tarn’s little pet from the corner of his eye, and ground out, “Yes?”

"What’re you doing?" Kaon asked. His shirt hung loose under his vest, and the lad trotted along his side like a dog from the gutter. Which after the past six or so months of care, Vos was sure wasn’t that far off of a description. Kaon jogged faster to keep up with Vos’ increased pace. "Where are you going so fast!"

Vos rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. The boy wasn’t going to leave. “Going to the kitchen to put away what’s left of Tarn’s mid-morning tea.”

"Did he eat all of it?" Kaon asked, leaning up on his tip-toes, nose toward the tray. He licked his lips, and Vos pulled the tray higher. "Well did he?"

"You drink tea, not eat it," Vos answered. "But if you’re asking if he ate all of the biscuits, then yes. Every last one."

"Are there any left?" Kaon asked. "He doesn’t like sweets that much."

"I made more than what I brought Tarn, but I doubt there are any left," Vos said. Kaon latched onto the bottom of his jacket with his hand as Vos turned the corner. "I’ll bet the maids have stolen them all, one at a time hoping I would’t notice."

"Can I have any that are left?" Kaon asked, tugging on Vos’ coat. "Assuming they didn’t eat them all?"

"If you keep eating nothing but sugar and flour, then Tarn’s going to have a little piggy instead of a little boy," Vos said. He took the silver tray in one hand, and reached down to scoop Kaon up on his hip. "See? You’re already getting heavy."

"Better a little heavy than thin like you," Kaon said. He poked Vos’ cheek and laughed. "You’re no bigger than a twig. I have to wonder if you eat anything."

"I eat," Vos answered.

"Are we almost to the kitchen?" Kaon asked, changing the subject. His attention span was worse than a puppy’s. Kaon fidgeted a bit, pulling on Vos’ collar. "I can’t tell when I’m not walking."

"You can’t smell it?" Vos asked, lifting an eyebrow. "I’m surprised."

"All I can smell is your cologne," Kaon said, scrunching his nose. He shifted again on Vos’ hip, and settled. "It’s really strong."

"So it is," Vos said. He entered the kitchen, and plopped the boy down on the nearest table. "Don’t move."

"You never wear cologne," Kaon said. He kicked his legs back and forth as he sat on the edge of the table, and leaned forward like he was going to jump down. Vos about scolded him, when he leaned back again and pouted. "Why are you wearing cologne? Something happen today?"

"It’s Sunday," Vos answered, pulling out a loaf of bread. He avoided a maid as he tugged over some salted meat and cheese. A glare sent her out of the kitchen in a flash, leaving him alone with the boy.

"What’s special about Sunday? You don’t go to mass with Tarn," Kaon asked. He scooted across the table.

"Sit still," Vos said, gritting his teeth together. "And maybe I felt like wearing it, did you think of that?"

Kaon got quiet for a moment, and his foot slowed in its back and forth trail. He bit the side of his lip. “I know that cologne. It smells like the perfume the ladies wear at the bad place.”

"Bad place?" Vos asked, knife in the middle of the block of cheese. He pushed it down, cutting off a slice and placing it on top of the small sandwich he was assembling. "What bad place?"

"It was in a back corner on the other side of the alleys," Kaon said. He shifted in place, and frowned. "It had a lot of women who smelled like your cologne, and these really big men that had the same smell all over them. If you wandered too close to the building and they got a hold of you, no one saw you again."

Vos placed the plate with the four neat sandwich cuts on the table next to Kaon’s leg. He pushed one of the slices into Kaon’s mouth. “Little boys have many uses in the world, it’s true.”

Kaon grabbed the sandwich and coughed, clearing the shoved bite. He huffed, but took another bite anyway. Kaon never turned down food when he could get it. Vos sympathized, to some extent.

"You were gone all morning," Kaon said. He clutched his sandwich with both hands, and his face stayed toward the floor. "I don’t think that’s your cologne."

"It’s not."

Kaon took another bite, and chewed slowly. His hand curled around the edge of the table, his legs hanging straight. Kaon finished off the sandwich and licked the edge of his thumb. His breath hitched for a moment as he licked his fingers, before a new set of words came tumbling out of his mouth: “You’re good at cooking.”

"Don’t do that," Vos said, slapping Kaon’s hand away from his mouth. "You’d embarrass Master Tarn to death if you were to do that at the dinner table with company."

"We’re not at the dinner table! We’re in the kitchen." Kaon tapped across the table for the plate, and Vos shoved it over to meet his hand. He picked up another slice and stuffed it in his mouth. "Where’d you learn to cook?"

"A man should have many skills in his life," Vos said. He tapped his fingers on the counter, and sighed. When had he become a nursemaid? "You never know when you’ll need them."

"I know," Kaon said, the rest of the sandwich disappearing in his mouth. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out something with a hint of silver. He tossed it at Vos with a cheeky grin. "That’s something you don’t need to tell me."

Vos caught the trinket with one hand and turned it over. A silver pocket watch sparkled up at him under the warm kitchen lights. Vos flipped it open and frowned; it was his. “Where did you get this?”

"Your room," Kaon said. He picked up the third slice of sandwich and continued eating. "You need better locks."

"When did you get it?" Vos asked, clicking it closed and glaring. The urge to smack the gluttonous child grew every second.

"This morning," Kaon said. He brushed the crumbs off his vest, and rubbed the side of his cheek under the blindfold. "While you and Tarn were gone."

"And where were Tesarus and Helex?" Vos asked, teeth gritting together. This is why he was forever babysitting Tarn’s things. Those two were completely unreliable! "They were supposed to be watching you!"

"Playing cards," Kaon said. He reached for the forth sandwich, and it disappeared as well. The boy made a tiny show of licking the crumbs off the end of his finger. "They didn’t even notice I’d left and come back."

"Worthless," Vos hissed.

"It’s also how I know you don’t own any cologne," Kaon said, pouting again.

"How do you know I didn’t keep it up higher, where greedy little mitts can’t find it?"

"Because you don’t have any shelves," Kaon said. He held up his fingers as he counted off furniture pieces. "Just a bed, a dresser, and a big cabinet full of weird things that smell bad."

"Oh?" Vos asked, he leaned closer to Kaon. He blew in Kaon’s ear, smiling when the boy covered it quickly. "And did you happen to find a tiny little bone on the edge of the shelf?"

"Yes," Kaon said, digging in his pocket. He held up the tiny bone between his index finger and thumb, and turned it sideways. "I was going to ask what kind it was."

"A little boy’s finger bone," Vos answered, lifting up Kaon’s index finger and tugging. He waved it back and forth, moving Kaon’s entire arm. "It’s what’s left of a thief who thought it’d be cute to take my things."

"So you killed him and kept a single little bone?" Kaon asked, his mouth twitching in a disbelieving smile.

Vos leaned close to Kaon’s ear. “I ate him, and kept that little finger as a souvenir.”

"You liar!" Kaon laughed. He tugged on Vos’ earring, and scooted closer to the edge of the table. Vos shoved him back to keep the boy from jumping down. Kaon snickered, "There’s no way you ate an entire child with that thin belly of yours. It’d never fit!"

"Well, not alone, it’s true. I shared him with a few others as dessert," Vos said, licking his lips. He dropped Kaon’s hand and picked up the empty plate. Vos put it away in the sink as he continued. " I only ate the arm and his hand."

Kaon held up the bone and twisted it in his fingers. “I think you’re trying to scare me.”

"Believe what you want," Vos said. He picked up an apple out of a basket and sliced it in quarters. The juice spilt on the table, clear and sweet. Vos took up the handful of them, and shoved a slice in Kaon’s mouth. The boy flinched at the contact and pulled the slice out of his mouth. "It’s your hands at risk, not mine."

"You wouldn’t do anything," Kaon said. He pouted, and bit into the apple slice. The juice trickled on his chin, and he wiped it away. "Tarn would get mad."

"Perhaps," Vos said. He picked up a napkin and wiped off Kaon’s fingers. He wrapped it around Kaon’s ring finger, and squeezed. "But I bet he’d let me nip off a finger or two from a bad little boy’s sticky hand if I asked nicely."

Kaon drew his hand into a little fist around the cloth and put his hands in his lap. He looked up at the ceiling, and with as much seriousness as he could manage with the smile tugging at his cheek, he said, “So I guess that means you’ll want the earrings back from your safe, too?”

Vos cuffed the laughing child on the side of the head, and was glad Kaon couldn’t see the smile that slipped onto his own face.


End file.
